by Vivian Arend
Laughter continued behind her as Ginny made her way outside, striding quickly down the path to the edge of Big Sky Lake.
She’d walked for under a minute before she realized the snow crunching underfoot seemed exceptionally loud, which made her glance over her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she asked Tucker, following in her footsteps.
He shrugged and caught up with her. “Not sure. Just wanted to give them some time together.”
They walked silently for a moment. The itch at the back of her neck kept getting bigger. Ginny absolutely hated feeling this way.
Screw this. She needed a mental reset.
The truth was she’d spent the past three years facing her fears and getting the next thing done. Simple things like dealing with language issues, or tougher ones like showing up at remote farms for jobs that weren’t what they were supposed to be.
Being uncomfortable and uncertain had been part and parcel of her life for a long time. She needed to use that to her advantage. Yeah, the ranch might be her home, but it was as good as a foreign country right now.
She knew how to deal with new places better than the current tangle in her gut would declare.
The other matter making her blood boil could be shoved aside for a little longer.
Impulsively, she bumped against Tucker. “Want to do something fun?”
His stern expression was back in place, but a hint of interest was there. “Dare I ask?”
Oh, she hadn’t even thought about that kind of fun. Which really was quite a travesty considering she’d meant the question when she’d asked him the night before. At some point, she hoped sex was back on the table. “Nothing dirty.”
His face relaxed slightly.
“Yet,” she added.
His exasperated sigh was delicious. “Ginny.”
“Let’s go see Dustin. If he’s not there, let’s go see your uncle.”
“And if he’s not there?”
She threw her hands in the air. “You and your damn agendas. If we can’t find either of them, we’ll go see the kittens in the barn. Because there’s always kittens in the barn.”
He stood, hands jammed into his pockets and a thoughtful expression on his solemn face. “Let’s skip Dustin for now. He’s got a friend visiting. I know you want to touch base with my uncle, but I spent four hours with him yesterday.”
“So, kittens?” she asked brightly.
He dipped his chin. “Kittens.”
Climbing into the hayloft, the well-worn ladder smooth under her fingers, Ginny took her time. Savoured the sensation, because this was one of her earliest memories. The sweet scent of hay, a touch of an itch at the back of her nose from the ever-present dust.
The sharp poke through her jeans as she crawled on hands and knees toward one of the favourite nesting places from years gone by.
“Bingo.” Tucker’s deep rumble sounded nearly in her ear, his strong body inches away as he leaned close to peer into the gap between bales. “Oh, that’s a pretty batch.”
Ginny ignored the urge to roll under him and instead peeked into the space filled with squeaky baby meows. “Whoa. Brown with little white paws, the entire litter. They look like they’re wearing snow boots.”
The mama cat watched them warily, kittens lined up along her belly in an assembly line as they nursed greedily.
“Let’s not touch,” Ginny said softly. “This mama looks extra protective.”
Tucker didn’t say anything. Just lay on his belly with his arms folded so he could rest his chin on his hands and stare at the little furry creatures.
Okay. Ginny copied him, stretched out at his side. Their breath slowed, and the magic of the barn stole over her.
She’d been home less than twenty-four hours. It would take time to feel comfortable again. She couldn’t pretend that she’d never left—and wouldn’t want to, because she had learned a bunch of fascinating things while she’d been away. Too many lessons she eventually wanted to share with the people who were important to her.
But she also couldn’t pretend that the world hadn’t changed while she’d been away. She needed to get okay with that.
Voices sounded, and she rocked to her feet. She was at the railing looking down in time to see Caleb’s family pour into the barn. Followed by—
“Walker. And Ivy. Oh my God. Brace yourselves,” she called in warning.
Tempting as it was to use Kelli’s old method of throwing herself out of the loft to reach the ground sooner, Ginny was more comfortable keeping her feet under her. It was still only seconds later when she threw herself into Walker’s arms.
His hat flew off as he twirled her in a circle, squeezing tight. “Brat. Missed you.”
“That seems to be the theme of the day,” Ginny said as brightly as possible. “I’m glad to be home.”
He caught her unspoken message because he gave her an additional pat on the back before setting her free.
“Come visit us this week?” Ivy asked.
Ginny had plenty of teenage memories of the quiet woman who was now her sister-in-law. Ivy still looked fragile, with her silver-white hair and fine bone structure, yet somehow appeared far stronger than before.
“I would love it,” Ginny said honestly before giving Ivy a slightly less exuberant hug than she gave Walker in an attempt to not break the woman in two.
“We’re going riding,” Emma said as she tugged on Ginny’s sleeve. “You too?”
“Sure. We’re not going very far, are we?” Ginny checked her watch. “Don’t you have a friend coming over?”
Emma’s eyes went wide, and she nodded vigorously. “Papa said we’ll ride in the arena until after Talia visits.”
“Wow, that’s a good idea.”
Caleb wandered past, chuckling softly, saddle hefted over his shoulder. “You don’t have to say that as if it’s an utter surprise. I do have them at times, you know.”
“Hush,” Ginny mock whispered. “Girl bonding. Don’t interrupt.”
Emma put her hands over her mouth and snickered softly.
A moment later, Sasha was there as well. Only she had her fists on her hips and eyed Ginny with suspicion. “Mom said girls’ night out is for bonding, but we’re too little to go. Kelli says you gotta put in the work before you get to play.”
Some things would never change. Sasha’s Kelli-isms were still a thing and still hysterical. “You’re right, and Kelli’s right. But girl bonding is not just for grown-ups. It’s also about spending special time with your people, and that means any age counts.”
Sasha considered for a moment. “Then today is special because Talia is coming to visit.”
“Yep.” But an inkling of another idea snuck in.
Ginny stored away the thought for another time, because between the visits from a birthday friend and Christmas presents, the girls probably had enough excitement to keep them bouncing for the next forty-eight hours.
Not too much later, most of the family were up on horseback, easy conversations happening while the horses paced slowly along the edge of the fence line. Two by two, mixing and matching every few minutes.
When Emma’s friend showed up with her father, and her father’s good friend, Ginny slipped aside to observe a little more closely.
Her gaze went unerringly to Tucker. He wasn’t riding but standing near the barn with one foot up on the bottom railing, his arms along the top as he chatted with Ivy.
Another memory slipped in. Tucker knew the entire Fields family, and Ivy, from way back. He really was mixed up in a whole lot of history.
Seeing him there just felt natural. Felt right.
Made things inside of her crave his heat and talented hands.
As if thinking of him somehow tapped him on the shoulder, his gaze swung to the right and their eyes made contact. No one was watching, which meant Ginny didn’t worry about hiding the things bubbling inside her.
Two weeks. If that was all she got, then she would do her best to convince h
im they needed to take advantage of every opportunity.
Shrieks of laughter rose from the left, and Ginny hurried to see what her nieces and their friend were doing.
All of them were in the goat pen, each one cornered by their own personal goat bodyguard.
The rest of the afternoon and dinner passed in a violent rush, until the Stone family once again gathered in the main ranch house. Presents under the tree, new toys and scraps of wrapping paper from the morning’s event already in evidence.
But now was for the whole family, and while Ashton played his fiddle and Dustin danced a jig with Sasha, Ginny found herself with eighteen-month-old Tyler in her arms.
The little tyke seemed fascinated by the necklace she wore. Leaning down, he sniffed the ceramic surface like a puppy after her scent. He babbled between times, patting his hand against her cheek and catching hold of the ends of her hair. But mostly it was the ceramic pendant she wore that held him fascinated.
“Whatever you’ve got in there, I need a bucketful,” Tamara said dryly. “I swear it’s Tyler catnip. He’s usually grumbling by now, but you’re working some sort of magic.”
“I’ll get you one,” Ginny promised. “Herbal-based and safe for both kids and pets—I double checked.”
Tamara mouthed thank you, then headed to beside the tree where Caleb had risen to his feet.
Ginny’s oldest brother made a slow perusal around the room, noting everyone was present. Emma and Sasha had been sent to the basement with a new movie, so only the adults in the family were present. Along with Ashton and Tucker, of course.
Caleb cleared his throat. “Seems as if I made an announcement like this only yesterday, but Tamara reminded me it’s been at least a couple years. I’ve got an update on the state of Silver Stone’s finances, and I want you all to listen close.”
4
Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tucker lifted a hand to nab Caleb’s attention, then gestured toward the door. “I’ll let myself out.”
Caleb waved him down. “Stay. This affects Ashton, which means he’ll need you to bounce ideas off.” Caleb’s expression kicked up half a notch to a half smile. “I seem to remember you being around a couple of other times that were pretty momentous for us Stones. You deserve to enjoy this one.”
Tucker settled back beside his uncle, hands raised in acceptance.
The oldest Stone brother took a deep breath, meeting each of his siblings’ eyes in turn. “A few years ago we met like this, trying to come up with a laundry list of ways to save the ranch. Maybe we weren’t all here in body, but together, we shared ideas, every single one of us. Because that’s how we said we would do things. Ever since that first family meeting after Mom and Dad died, when I promised we’d stay together as a family. It’s been a hell of a trip, but between hard work and a bit of luck, we’re in a brand-new place now.”
Dustin frowned. “I thought the finances had been doing well ever since the breeding program took off.”
“That was a turning point, yes. But I’ve got more news for you.” Damn if he didn’t outright grin as he caught Tamara’s hand. “Oil and gas rights just delivered. Tamara’s brother-in-law owns the company that will be utilizing the claim, and he’s generously set us up with a more than typical share of dividends.”
A chorus of questions and excitement raced around the room.
“We struck oil?” Kelli asked. “I haven’t seen them drilling anywhere.”
“Because we chose areas that are less accessible, thus less visible. With the new technology Finn’s team is using, it works to our advantage.”
“So we have…oil on Silver Stone?” Ivy was tucked in the corner as usual, but her eyes were bright. “Isn’t the price of oil down, and the cost of production up?”
“Everything that goes around comes around, but part of those pricing issues come from corporations wanting the lions’ share.” Caleb nodded, but his grin remained solid. “It’s a good question, but the bottom line is that we were doing well without the discovery, but now we have a buffer. This gives us a solid financial base that means dreaming a little.”
“And we’ll never have to sell?” Dustin looked on the verge of tears, emotion obviously getting the better of him.
Caleb dipped his chin firmly. “We may still have ups and downs, because this is ranching, and we never know what weather and life will throw at us. But we’re good at dealing with those emergencies. I wanted you all to know that we’ve now got the opportunity to think about a different future.”
Luke nodded, happiness shining bright as he considered what that meant. “We had the breeding program on slow mode, but if there’s more money in the budget, we could increase pace a little.”
“Major repairs that we’ve been holding off on or making do—those should get tackled first,” Tamara suggested. She gestured toward Ashton. “I bet you’ve got a list.”
“Not that big,” the man said pointedly. Tucker’s uncle leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, but his expression was one of outright pride. “It’ll be good to loosen the purse strings a little, but I haven’t felt hard done by. You’ve run this place well, Caleb.” He glanced and included the rest of them in his praise. “You’ve all done well, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
“We’ve been lucky to have had your expertise all these years,” Walker returned steadily. “This is really good news, Caleb. But it’s a little unreal.”
“It’s not going to change anything overnight,” Tamara said firmly. “We wanted you to know now so you can get into that dreaming part we mentioned. Are there things you’ve been holding off on that you’d like to do? Not just for Silver Stone, but farther. In Heart Falls, or beyond.”
“You want to go to school for a while, figure out where, and we’ll make it happen,” Caleb said to Dustin. “Think on it.”
Kelli waved a hand from where she sat next to Luke. “What if there’s nothing to change? As in, we already have all the money we need and are pretty happy with how things are?”
Luke chuckled, picking up her hand and kissing her knuckles. “Asks Miss Heiress, who repeatedly turns down every gift her grandfather offers.”
“Money doesn’t buy happiness,” Kelli insisted.
“You’re right,” Caleb said with a nod. “We don’t plan on changing things up massively or trying to hit the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But we can breathe and enjoy life more. Enjoy each other as family. That’s something to celebrate.”
“Agreed.” Walker stepped forward and pulled Caleb into an embrace, patting his back firmly. “Thanks for everything you’ve done over the years.”
The entire room turned into a series of hugs and brotherly shoulder pounding. Tucker was proud to celebrate with them.
Something inside was building, though. His deep need to be a part of this family more than just on the periphery. He wanted so much.
It was time he pushed past the dreaming to action as well.
Fortunately, Ashton decided they should leave the Stone family to spend the rest of the evening by themselves. He nudged Tucker’s arm. “Come with me. Wouldn’t mind some time to talk.”
Which probably meant his uncle wanted to toss around ideas on ways to improve the ranch.
Tucker said his goodbyes, stopping to shake Caleb’s hand. “Sometimes luck does come to good people.”
Caleb shrugged. “If it hadn’t happened, like Kelli said, we would’ve been perfectly happy.” His lips curled upward. “But I’m not turning it down. Not the chance to give Tamara and my kids a future with a bit more ease.”
“Like I said, good people.” Tucker dipped his chin to Tamara and headed after his uncle.
Ginny’s ears were ringing. She wasn’t sure if it was because blood pounded through her hard enough to echo inside, or because the house had finally quieted down.
After Caleb’s momentous announcement, the family continued to chat for a little longer, but then Luke and Kelli left to rej
oin their guests. Walker and Ivy slipped away, her brother pausing to kiss Ginny’s cheek and give her a squeeze along with a reminder of her promise to visit that coming week.
Tyler was asleep, and the girls were still watching their movie.
Ginny remained behind because, truth was, the whirling emotions inside her ran the gamut from joy to full-on anger, and she needed to deal with that last one before it became something bitter and sharp.
Confession was the only honest thing to do with people she loved so much.
Tamara settled in what had obviously become her corner of the couch, close to her husband’s easy chair. Caleb brought her a cup of tea, and she blew him a kiss. “Thanks, hon.”
“You’re welcome.” Caleb turned to Ginny. “Here’s yours. It’s not as good an herbal blend as you used to make, but it’s close.”
She took it carefully before sitting on the couch opposite the two of them. “Can we talk?”
“Of course.” Caleb lifted the footrest on his chair and leaned back with a contented sigh. “You’ve got to have all sorts of ideas. I’m excited to hear them once you’ve had a chance to make a list.”
Ginny felt like shit for not following that trail. Her big brother was so obviously thrilled at the good news he’d shared that evening. She was as well, and yet…
Should she put this conversation off for a while longer? What right did she have to dump her anger on him now?
They can’t fix it if they don’t know it’s broken.
Her mother’s voice arrived, as always, right when she needed it. Guardian angel or just a really well-balanced psyche that knew when enough was enough?
Ginny sighed.
Tamara’s gaze sharpened, and she spoke before Ginny could. “What’s wrong? I know we haven’t had that much time together, but it’s clear something’s bothering you.”
Ginny nodded then met Caleb’s gaze straight on. “Why didn’t you tell me when things got bad with the ranch?”
Caleb blinked. “We did. We called and got your ideas about ways to—”
“That was at the eleventh hour, when the options were a miracle or selling out.” Ginny spoke slowly, but her usual firm optimism had changed to a nearly quivering whisper. “I wasn’t here, and I should have been.”